Ebi is a Team Leader with The Bowery Mission Transitional Center (BMTC), a residential program designed to transition formerly drug addicted men into independent living. Ebi and his team lead a Bible Study for the men on the first Wednesday of each month, and then lead activity nights (bowling, going to the movies, catching a baseball game) on the last Wednesday of each month.

Lucy teaches English and basic computer skills to Arab-American immigrants.
How did you get connected with the BAAFC? Before I moved New York City, I’d been involved with international people for about 5 years. That’s my passion, my calling. Yet, I had a hard time finding a place in the city to volunteer with. I spoke to an HFNY staff member, and told her about my heart to help underserved internationals, and that’s how I found out about the BAAFC.

What have you enjoyed about working on these PIA projects? I think I've really enjoyed going to neighborhoods and places that I honestly would never have gone to. For Brooklyn Jubilee, we went to a health fair in Flatbush, a very historic Brooklyn neighborhood. I've lived in the city for five years and never had a reason to go there. We went for a photo shoot to get some of the Brooklyn Jubilee people in action. It was very rewarding to get a perspective on someone else's life.

Hope for New York hosted its annual Awesome Volunteer Appreciation dinner last week-- more than 200 committed volunteers, volunteer team leaders, and Hope for New York affiliate staff gathered to celebrate the work our volunteers are doing to serve the poor and marginalized across New York City.
As part of the evening, staff from Hope for New York affiliate organizations shared “one-sentence thank yous” (well, some were a little longer than a sentence!).

Hope for New York held our Sixth Annual Spring Benefit “Faces of Hope” on Thursday, May 10 at Church of the Holy Apostles in Chelsea. Spearheaded by HFNY’s Young Supporters Committee, the event gathered over 400 attendees and featured portraits of and stories from HFNY volunteers, supporters, and clients, as well as a message from Rev. Jeff White, Assistant Pastor of Redeemer’s Downtown congregation.